


We finally found you.... While you were hiding our "dead" friend

by Nollids, ozhawk



Category: Agents of SHIELD - Fandom, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/F, F/M, Soulmates AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-01
Updated: 2015-09-26
Packaged: 2018-04-12 11:28:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4477550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nollids/pseuds/Nollids, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ozhawk/pseuds/ozhawk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Continuation of Ozhawk's soulmate shorts; Chapter 34. Take place after 1x11 of AoS</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Clint and Natasha  
“I hate you.”

“I hate you too.”

They glared at each other, quivering with rage, for several silent minutes. It was Natasha who looked away first, wearily. “Why do we keep doing this to each other, Clint?”

He didn’t say it, knowing she’d probably shoot him if he did. Just waited, silently, until the tension drained from her body and she turned around, stalking across the room to him, fisting both hands in the front of his T-shirt.

“I can’t do this. I can’t keep doing this,” the words burst from her. “It’s like that stupid song…”

He knew which song she was talking about, of course. With Or Without You. They’d adopted it as their theme song several years ago. He couldn’t live without her – but at the same time he couldn’t live with her. She drove him insane. And she felt exactly the same way.

“Where are you?” he whispered into the darkness late that night. Alone in his bed, because Natasha had left. Again. “We need you. What’s taking you so long?”

“Just kill me. Make it quick.” She’d said it in Budapest, lying in an alleyway, already punctured by bullet and knife wounds. He’d had an arrow pointed at her heart, and from fifteen feet there was no way she could move fast enough to make him miss.  
He’d almost fallen with shock. “That sounds like something I’d always regret,” he said slowly, and knew she was the right one when her beautiful mouth dropped open with shock.

Fury had been enraged when he brought the infamous Black Widow in instead of killing her, but there were policies regarding soulmates that had forced Fury’s hand. He gave Natasha a chance – and a warning, that if she stepped out of line it would be her soulmate who paid the price. She never had, despite how crazy Clint made her sometimes, because she’d found a place in S.H.I.E.L.D. that had nothing to do with her soulmate and everything to do with being allowed, for the first time in her life, to make her own choices.

Neither of them felt the need to tell anyone that they shared a third. Generally triads completed fairly quickly; more than a year or so before the third turned up to complete the bond was pretty uncommon. The Fates weren’t usually that cruel.

Ten years. Natasha leaned her head on the cool glass, staring unseeingly out into the night. Ten years she’d been with Clint; and she did love him, God how she loved him, he was part of her soul, but he drove her insane sometimes. They needed their third; without her – or him, though considering Clint’s preference for women and her enjoyment of both sexes, Natasha guessed it would be a woman – they were unstable, unable to be together for long without falling into their old habits of fighting over petty things, picking at each other. They needed their third.

“Where are you?” she whispered. “We need you. What’s taking you so long?”

Jemma  
“Breathe,” Skye nudged her friend. “They’re just two more S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.”

“They are not just two more agents, Skye, they are the greatest legends in the Agency!” Jemma almost hyperventilated at Skye’s casual dismissal of the two agents who were coming in to meet Coulson’s team that afternoon. “They’re Avengers, the only unenhanced humans on the Avengers team, and have you seen them? Agent Barton’s arms are the hottest thing ever, and Agent Romanoff is the most beautiful woman alive and… and…” she saw the look on Skye’s face. “And they’re standing right behind me, aren’t they?” she trailed off pitifully.  
Skye nodded silently, her eyes wide as she looked past Jemma. “Hello,” Skye said, trying to distract them from Jemma’s gaffe. “I’m Skye, and this is Jemma Simmons.”

Jemma mustered up a smile and turned around, keeping the smile firmly in place. They were looking at her, and oh Lord, up close they were even more gorgeous than in their pictures, Agent Romanoff’s beautiful sulky mouth turned up in the slightest smirk, Barton’s grin wicked. Jemma gulped a little nervously.

“It’s an honour to meet you both.”

Clint and Natasha  
They shared a startled look, communicating without words as they’d learned to do over the last ten years sharing a soul.

Her?  
Could be…  
Say something!  
YOU say something!

“The pleasure’s all ours,” Clint told Jemma in response to Natasha’s final glare.

“Or at least, we’d like it to be,” Natasha added.

Jemma fell back a step, her eyes going very wide. No. No, that absolutely could not be possible. She’d guessed long ago, from the words and the way they seemed to form one complete sentence in two totally different sets of handwriting, that she had two soulmates who she’d meet at the same time, but never in a million years could she have dreamed that it would be these two.

“So it is you,” Clint said softly, stepping forward. “We’ve been looking for you…”

“… for a long time,” Natasha finished, her smile soft. “A really long time.”  
Skye stared at the three of them, her eyes wide. Seeing her look, Clint lifted his left arm, showing the inside of his bicep and the neat, small words printed there. It’s an honour to meet you both.

“Right, well, I’ll be in AC’s office then,” Skye bolted. Omigod I need to tell EVERYONE…

Jemma  
She stared at them both, unable to believe what was happening. Agent Romanoff – Natasha – was about the same height as she, Hawkeye a solid six inches taller. They both moved closer to her, but slowly, not boxing her in, giving her the chance to back away if she chose.

“I didn’t know you had a third,” she said numbly at last. “You two are legends, soulmates and partners, Strike Team Delta…”

“We’ve been waiting for you,” Clint said softly. “For a really long time.”

“We need you,” Natasha added. “We fight if it’s just us. Like a cat and dog. I’m sure Coulson’s told you stories.”

Jemma nodded. He had indeed. The Black Widow and Hawkeye had fought like demons from his tales. But as soulmates, it was understood that they’d always be drawn back together, no matter what. Two-thirds of a triad, alone without their third for so many years, though, that would be a deeply unstable bond. No wonder they seemed delighted to have found her.

Clint’s fingers brushed her cheek gently as he raised a shaking hand, touching her wonderingly, as though he was a little unsure that she was actually real. “Look at you, you’re beautiful,” he said wonderingly.  
Jemma couldn’t meet those blazing blue eyes. She looked into Natasha’s glimmering green ones instead.

“I’m so glad we finally found you,” Natasha told her sincerely.

They were so genuinely welcoming, both of them looking at her with such desire, such naked need, that Jemma couldn’t possibly have denied them anything, even if they hadn’t been the two most beautiful people she’d ever seen. She opened her arms to them and a moment later they were both embracing her, Natasha’s cheek pressed to hers, Clint’s thicker, longer arms wrapping around both of them, holding them tight as he pressed light kisses to Jemma’s hair.

“Ours,” he rumbled softly, “you’re ours.”


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
10 years ago. 

"Jemma!" Fitz called out from the other side of his dorm room. "I’m working on a very important assignment! I don't have time to go to the Boiler Room!"

They had been friends for about two months at this point. It became fairly obvious that if Fitz wasn't dragged out by Jemma, he'd never have a social life. 

"Come on, Fitz!" Jemma said. "Just an hour! We can get a drink and then leave! I'll help you with your 'assignment'," she mockingly, putting air quotes around the word "assignment" with her fingers, knowing full well he didn’t really have anything specific to do. 

"Really?" he asked, "Are you sure it’s not due to the fact that Ian and Elizabeth are going to be there?"

They were the only couple on campus with matching soulmarks and Jemma had always known that she'd meet both soulmates at the same time so it was worth a shot. She had let Fitz know this fact numerous times. 

"What? No! What?" she said quickly and unconvincingly. 

"Honestly, Jemma..." he said, walking out the door putting his jacket on. "You're lucky enough to not only have a romantic soulmark but another one on top of it!" Fitz had a soulmark too, but it was a platonic one. 

"You OK, Turbo?" was all it said. 

"I mean honestly, Fitz! I can't just not-- agh!" She cried out falling to her knees. There was a burning on her back. 

"Well..." The doctor said looking at the chart an hour later. "You're perfectly fine Miss-- I'm sorry, Doctor Simmons." The Acadamy encouraged treating the students as equals, not inferiors. Using their proper titles was just one of the methods Agent Weaver implemented. 

Jemma was on a medical bed at the campus infirmary with Fitz at her side. "Are you sure?" She asked. The burning hadn't quite gone away. It wasn't painful but it surprised her and Fitz insisted on going to the doctor. Better safe than sorry, as his mum always said. 

"Yes." The doctor insisted, "Dr. Fitz here mentioned that you have two soulmates? Well it's most likely that they just met. They're probably completing their bond right now." He waggled his eyebrows. 

Her face went red against her will. "Don't worry. I'm sure you'll meet them within the year," the doctor said soothingly, patting her foot. "Most triads are completed within a year. At most!"

Now.   
Jemma  
“Ours,” Clint rumbled softly, “you’re ours.”

Jemma's eyes widened as it fully hit her. She had given up on meeting her mate years ago. After 6 years – yes 6 bloody lonely, miserable years – it began to be a bit painful to be without them so she did her best to put them out of her mind altogether. She hadn't even given them a second thought in years. But then today happened and Black Widow and Hawkeye were her Soulmates! Soulmates! Sure she and Fitz were known throughout the organization but these two... they were known by the entire world! They were Avengers for goodness sakes!

"You don't understand how happy this makes--" Natasha began, nuzzling her neck. 

"Ummm..." Jemma said cutting her off, "I uh – I have to be going right now! Loads of work to do!"

She took off up the stairs the stairs of the bus. 

Clint

"We--" Clint began. 

"--freaked her out." Natasha finished. "I know."

Today had been quite eventful. First they found out Coulson was alive. Yeah, they soon figured that Fury had lied to bring together the Avengers. But then they found out Coulson truly was dead. For days. Then they got back from an assignment from Istanbul, to be assigned to the operation to find him. They finally got to this bus he had become CO of and he'd already been found. 

"Well can you blame her?" Clint asked Natasha, starting up the stairs. 

"No. Especially considering the way she was..." Natasha said trying to think of the word. 

"Fan-girling," Clint supplied helpfully. 

"Yeah. Considering that way she was fan-girling over us when we got there. I’m surprised she took it as well as she did."

They got up the stairs and saw a bunch of people standing around a conference table. Coulson, Melinda, Fitz (who they knew as he had designed Nat's Widow’s Bites and quite a few of Clint's specialty arrows), the young Specialist Ward who everyone compared to Natasha and the girl Jemma was talking to who was May's mini me. They even dressed identically. 

May's mini me – Clint knew she’d said her name but he wasn't really paying attention, he was more focused on finding Coulson – took off out of the conference room. It looked like she was headed toward the bunks. 

Natasha nudged him and jerked her head at a very alive Coulson. In front of him was a thick packet. Clint pulled the marble that he got from his brother Barney long ago that he carried everywhere and threw it at Coulson just as he turned his head to them. 

It hit him in the forehead and his hand went up and grabbed the area where he hit. Both May and Ward grabbed ICERs and pointed them at the couple. May heaved an annoyed sigh and then lowered her weapon and Ward followed suit. 

"What the ever living hell, Clint!"

Jemma

"SirAgentsBartonandRomanoffareheretoseeyou," Jemma gabbled, rushing though the conference room on the way to shut herself in her bunk. 

"What?" She heard someone ask, but she was already in her bunk. She started to hyperventilate. SHIELD's two top ASSASSINS were her soulmates. Soulmates!

Not that they would, but either one of them could crush her like a little stink-bug. And that was just them! There was no way they hadn’t made a few enemies who would view little Jemma Simmons as nothing more than a convenient weapon to use against them. Among them a bloody god!

There was a knock on her door. Before she could answer Skye came barrelling in. She looked very annoyed. 

"Honestly, Skye? What's the point of knocking if you're just going to--"

"What the hell is wrong with you? Your soulmates are out there. Your soulmates!"

"Yes!" Jemma hissed. "I know!"

"Ohhhh." Skye said with realization. "You're scared!"

"Apprehensive."

"Scared." Skye said shaking her head. "You're wasting such an opportunity here!"

"When you meet your soulmate you'll understand!" Jemma said. As soon as she did she regretted it. Skye's face fell, and Jemma had never seen Skye look so sad. Even when she found out about Miles and the money. 

"I'll probably never meet my soulmate." Skye said. She lifted up her shirt, and it took everything in Jemma's power not to gag. Right under her bra was a nasty scar. It looked like numerous knife cuts. It was obviously intentionally done to get rid of the mark. In the little spaces between the former gashes she could see tiny bits of a soulmark, but couldn't make out what it said. "I was about eight and I was in a foster home that was... either way it was cut up before I even knew what a soulmark was."

"How did you not know what a soulmark is?" Jemma asked incredulously. 

"How did you learn about soulmarks?"

"My par-- point taken."

"Anyways... I never memorized the exact wording. Something about me not belonging. Not that I didn't hear that enough growing up." Skye rolled her eyes when Jemma's hand went up to her mouth. "Either way you're wasting a huge opportunity. I'll never meet my mate. Fitz only has a platonic mate! Ward's mate has no idea who they even are!"

"Ward has a soulmate?"

"Yes, did you not see his mark when you were examining him from the staff? It's at the top of his spine!"

Jemma opened her mouth and then closed it.

Skye shook her head. "Look, all I'm saying is you have two people who are looking forward to meeting you. More than anything else in the world! You’re luckier than you know."

She got up and walked to the door. "I'm telling them you want to see them!" she said shooting out the door so Jemma couldn't voice an argument. 

Jemma paced around the tiny room, twisting her hands together anxiously, until she heard footsteps. 

Natasha 

After the initial shock of the Black Widow and Hawkeye being on the plane, Ward and Fitz left and Phil and Clint went into his office to talk. He and Clint were always closer. 

"So...." Nat began playfully. "Vic said you've picked up some little ducklings?"

"What? Ducklings?"

"Apparently the three baby agents follow you around like you're their mama duck. Especially your mini-me," Nat said, grinning. 

She could tell Melinda was grinding her teeth. She relaxed suddenly, smirking, and Nat could tell that was a bad sign. 

"I assume you're talking about Skye? And not your soulmate?" May said with a raised eyebrow. 

Natasha forgot what her snarky comeback she prepared was; for the first time in years she was speechless. Finally she choked out, "How'd you know?" 

"Let's just say there was an incident a few weeks back..." May began, but even with her spectacular poker face Nat could tell it pained May to talk about it. May was being even more ominous then normal and Nat could feel the fear on her own face showing because of it. "And bottom line is I saw her marks. I recognized both your and Clint’s handwriting. I had to file enough of your reports when I was in Admin." 

"And you didn't think to tell us?"

"What? And ruin the surprise for you three? Although she was smart enough that she knew I knew something."

There was a silence in the room for a minute while Nat took that in before May spoke up again. "And Skye is NOT my mini-me."

"Aww," Nat cooed. "She is so your mini-me its not even funny! And to top it all off she’s actually taller than you! Speaking of the devil."

Skye walked up and her eyes widened and a grin appeared on her face. The BLACK WIDOW was talking about her. She got as close as possible and murmured in her ear. 

"She wants to see you both but she's nervous and embarrassed by her reaction. Second bunk on the left."

Natasha chuckled. She tapped Skye’s shoulder in thanks and started walking away. She met May's eyes while Skye wasn't looking, pointed at her and mouthed the words "Mini-Me!"

She started walking down the hall and she made sure her footsteps were as loud as realistically possible. No need to scare the girl. 

Natasha knocked on her door.

"Com-- come in!" Jemma said nervous. Natasha came in and looked at Jemma sitting on her bed, sliding the door shut so they could talk privately. "Where's... Agent Barton?"

"You can call him Clint!" Natasha said, smiling. "Look, I can see you're nervous and I understand why, considering our reputations. But you have nothing to fear from us."

Jemma smiled shyly. "Okay, Clint it is then. What can I call you?"

"Nat. Tasha. Natasha. Anyone is fine. Just not Tosh. You and Clint only can call me Natalia, if you want. Only you two and only in private."

"Well everyone just calls me Simmons. But you can call me Jemma. And Skye sometimes calls me Jems." With that she showed a sign of slight annoyance and Nat smiled a warm smile at her adorable new soulmate.

Nat then stepped forward and even though Nat couldn't weigh much more than Jemma, she easily scooped Jemma up, twisted, sat down and deposited Jemma into her lap. 

When she did that Jemma naturally clung to Natasha's neck like a drowning man to dry land. Once they were seated again Jemma let go, looking embarrassed. To her credit, Natasha did too. 

"I'm sorry. That was inappropriate. I should've asked first," she said sheepishly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm sorry. It just you picking me up like that reminded me of an incident a few weeks ago." Jemma said not looking her in the eye. "I'm really not ready to talk about it yet." Nat made a mental note to find out what the hell this "incident" was. 

Just then Clint walked in. "Haven't you ever heard of knocking, you heathen?" Nat snapped at him.

"No! I wasn't even raised in a barn! I was raised in a tent."

"That was a rhetorical question; you jack--"

"Guys!" Jemma said, interrupting them.

Clint's eyes lit up when he realized that she was in Nat's lap. That she was becoming comfortable with them. Without hesitation he walked over and scooped Nat – and by extension Jemma – up into HIS lap.

Jemma clung to her again, so Natasha slapped his arm. "How 'bout you ask next time!" She said, her Russian accent coming out. She only let it out when she was around Clint and Clint only. Well, now Jemma too. 

"Sorry."

They all sat there in silence for a while when Nat heard Jemma murmuring. She couldn't tell what exactly she was saying but she picked up the words "me like a Stink-Bug". 

"Yeah, but you're our little stink bug." Natasha said wrapping her up in her arms. Then Clint wrapped both his arms around the both of them. After he did that Jemma – probably for the first time since they arrived onto the plane – had relaxed.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three. 

Clint and Natasha. 

It was decided between Clint and Natasha in a silent conversation that until they talked to Jemma that they wouldn't tell Coulson. Well they hadn’t planned to tell May either, but that woman was scary, she should be on the Gifted index. 

When they told Coulson of Jemma's new soulmate status they could literally see the migraine forming. It didn't help that Jemma continued to babble and look at her feet so that he didn't get what she was saying. That was until Natasha bluntly told him about their new status. 

Phil starred at them for a full minute before grabbing the bridge of his nose. He sighed, "So I guess that means you'll both be around a lot more?"

"Yeah. And we're dragging all of you to the tower. Tomorrow," Natasha said. Skye was bouncing up and down in excitement. 

"Well, I don't know..." Coulson said apprehensively. 

"It wasn't a question. Besides Pepper deserves to give you a good punch in the face. Did you really think that she wouldn't notice when her mark turned from white to black in a matter of minutes DAYS later?"

Everyone starred at Coulson in shock. No one knew that he had a soulmate. That included Nat and Clint. They only found out that afternoon when they let the rest of the Avengers know Coulson was alive and the two alerted them. (The obvious exception was May. But even she wasn't aware of who they were.)

"Field trip!" Skye said enthusiastically. 

 

It was two hours later and Clint, Jems (as Natasha started to affectionately started to call her. Skye only pouted for a moment before getting over it.), and Nat were back in Jemma's bunk. Coulson made them a deal; they could all stay in the same bunk as long as they didn't complete the bond on the bus. 

"I've failed to sleep enough adjacent hotel rooms to the pair of you to know that none of us would be getting any sleep tonight," Coulson said dryly. In front of everyone. 

Jemma's face turned such a shade of red that they were seriously debating on whether to take her down to the lab for a medical checkup. Both Clint and Natasha thought it was adorable but neither said so, trying not to embarrass her any further. 

Coulson had them in a bind. Technically fraternizing between agents was against SHIELD policy, but since they connected so late they weren't able to change their soulmate status and it would be breaking the rules. Technically. 

They all gave him their word and he let them go to bed despite the fact it was 8:30. They spent hours talking before the bond tired Jemma out to the point where she passed out mid sentence. 

The bond was very stressful on the body and Jemma didn't have the experience with a bond that Clint and Natasha had. Plus she was a scientist and her physical endurance wasn't as great as the two extremely fit field agents. 

Once Jemma was sleeping silently against Nat's chest, she and Clint struck up a conversation. Natasha made sure to talk as softly as possible as not to wake the tiny girl on her bosom. 

"Ten years. Ten frigging years," Nat said, fighting tears. It had been an emotional day. 

"I know, Nat," he said quietly, wrapping his hand around hers. "We... don't deserve her."

"She's so innocent," Nat said in agreement. "We can't have our poison in her life."

"She looks about five years younger asleep. She’s like you on that front." Clint said. Nat grimaced at him. 

"How do you think Tony would like having an addition to the tower?" She said. 

"I doubt he'd care. The tower's huge. Plus she can just stay on our level while she’s there."

"Actually I was thinking of a more permanent resident." Clint's gaze snapped to stare at her. "I was thinking of leaving her behind tomorrow. Keep her safe."

"Nat! We can't do that to her!" Clint said, trying to keep quiet. "It's not our decision to make. She's a SHIELD agent just like us."

"I know... But..."

"She's a big girl. She can make her own choices and it's not fair of us to even attempt to influence them."

Natasha sighed loudly then held her breath. She looked down but Jemma was still asleep. "Did you find out what the 'incident' was yet?"

He shook his head no. He pulled out his phone and looked up 6-1-6's recent cases. She knew when he got to it by the sharp intake of breath. 

"Let's go to sleep," he said. He stood up and took off his pants. "We can talk about it with her tomorrow. She'll really like Steve. She's just like him."

Nat moved slowly and with her dancer’s grace. She positioned herself so that her back was flat against the wall. Jemma was in front of her, facing Nat. Clint joined them, snuggling in behind Jemma on the narrow bed, and hit the lights. 

Even though they were more used to the bond, it still affected them. They were off to beddy-bye-land fairly soon after. 

Jemma

The last thing Jemma remembered was feeling like such an arse. She had been telling both of her new soulmates about her perfect little life on a farm in Sheffield when she found out they were both orphans. Clint had been in foster care like Skye, and Natasha – well the less said about her childhood the better. 

Then all she knew there was red hair in her eyes, nose and mouth. Clint and Natasha were cocooning her so tight she was surprised she could breathe. She looked over her shoulder at her bedside clock which read 4:15 and she sighed so as not to wake either one of them. 

She tried moving and both of them tightened their grip on her. It was kinda sweet, in a possessive way. Comforted, she closed her eyes and decided to go back to sleep. 

When she woke back up Clint was gone. Jemma had rolled onto her back in her sleep and Natasha had curled up into Jemma's side, her head resting on Jemma's breasts. 

She just sat there and let the last... Bloody hell. 13 hours sink in. She also saw a note in Clint's handwriting. After looking it over she realised Clint was helping May land on Avenger's Tower. It was meant for a Quinjet and the bus was a whole lot larger than that. It would take a while to land even for experienced pilots like May and Clint. Plus they needed Clint's access codes to dock or JARVIS would shoot them out of the sky. 

That was when Nat woke up. She looked around, as confused as Jemma was when she first woke up. Then she saw Jemma and gave her a lopsided smile. Natasha leaned up and kissed her. 

As soon as their lips met Natasha realized her mistake. Her eyes widened. She brought her head back. With Jemma being so uncomfortable in the beginning she was sure that she wanted to go slow. "I'm sorry! I'm sure you want to take this slo--" Natasha began.

Before she could continue though, Jemma grabbed the back of her head and brought their lips back together. 

"I kinda got over the freaking out when I woke up in the middle of the night in a cocoon that tightened up once I started moving around," Jemma said, smiling, and Natasha grinned back. 

Then Natasha grinned and sat up. She straddled Jemma's lap who was half laying down half sitting up.

"Do any of the other Avengers have soulmates?" Jemma asked suddenly, curious.

Natasha sat back on Jemma's shins, looking somewhat disappointed. "Tony and War Machine are platonic soulmates. That's why Tony made him an armor. Thor and Lady Sif – another Asgardian warrior – are platonic as well. Bruce has a romantic soulmate too; I think you know her. Betty Ross?"

"Dr. Betty Ross!" Jemma said excitedly. 

"The very same!" Natasha said. "Although she won't be there. Dr. Foster will be though! Weirdly enough Maria - Commander Hill, has a set in red lettering instead of black. Finally Cap has one with Sharon Carter, although they do have a third they haven't met yet."

"Oh...." Jemma said. Then the itch under her skin started burning and "Wanna start making out again?" Jemma asked even though it made her feel like a 12 year old. 

Without hesitation Natasha drove back onto Jemma's mouth. After about five minutes Jemma paused and looked Natasha up and down. She realized she was still wearing her combat uniform. 

"That can't be comfortable! Here we're probably around the same size, barring a few areas..." Jemma said, looking at Nat's breasts, causing the Russian to chuckle. Jemma got up to get her some clothes before she realized that she wasn't wearing the jeans that she definitely fell asleep in. Or any trousers at all. 

She moved to cover her ass when Natasha knocked away both hands. "Nuh-uh! I like this view!" Nat said laughingly before delivering a light slap. 

Jemma turned around quickly, a shocked look on her face. Natasha raised an eyebrow when Jemma started smiling. Suddenly without warning she launched herself at Nat. She started trying to wrestle Nat down. Unsuccessfully. 

Nat was definitely going easy on her because it had been about five minutes and Jemma was still upright. The entire Bus shook suddenly and Nat was able to pin Jemma down. She locked Jemma's elbows around her knees and sat on the small of Jemma's back. 

"I don't know why I'd ever thought that would work," Jemma said playfully, admitting defeat. 

"Now where were we?" Natasha said flipping the bottom of Jemma's shirt up revealing Jemma's knickers. "Aren't these cute?" Natasha said teasingly.

Jemma felt her face get red. She was wearing her knickers that had beakers all over them. They had been a gag gift from her mother. 

"Oh! That's right!" Tasha said before pinching each cheek and twisting. Jemma squealed just as Clint walked in. 

He looked at them for a few minutes before saying, "Is this something that I should be getting in on?"

"No!" Jemma squeaked at the same time Nat said,

"Hell yes!"

"Well we just landed. The rest of the Motley Crew will want to see everyone. And Jems? Try to put on some pants?" he said, somewhat seriously, though she could hear an underlying laugh in his voice. 

After Jemma got dressed and gave Nat some clothes so she wouldn't have to wear her uniform again. 

It was decided that Jemma would get off first, and then the rest of the team would come off as soon as they were ready for them. SHIELD apparently weren't the only ones that had protocols when it came to Soulmates. 

As they all got off the plane all the Avengers were standing there waiting for them. There were a lot of handshakes before Tony and Captain America brought her to the lab. 

She only fan-girled a little bit when Dr. Banner walked in. "Ohmygoodness! You’re Dr. Bruce Banner!" she squeaked out, shaking his hand continuously. 

"Yes, although Bruce is fine. Just not Brucy" he said, adding the last part looking directly at Tony. 

"Ok. Dr. Simmons," Bruce said then, pulling out a vial. She was sitting on a bench between Clint and Natasha. "I'll inject these nanites and when you vocalize a code you'll put in if you're in danger, they'll activate as a tracker so we can find you."

"Isn't that dangerous? Plus isn't that a little big broth--" She covered her mouth in shock. She had definitely been spending too much time with Skye. 

But Tony started chuckling. "Don't worry. I feel the same way. But not even I could hack into them to turn them on. And I hacked into SHIELD."

"Ummm..." Jemma began. "Mind if I have Skye go at it? Just for a second opinion. Not that I'm scared of all you guys," she added quickly "I just don't want someone to find it and know where I am at all times and--" 

She stopped after Clint put his hand on hers. "I'll go get her." 

He got up and came back with Skye a few minutes later. After Tony explained the situation to her she winked at Jemma and started hacking away. 

After a few moments Skye said, "Wow. You guys don't play around with security!"

"Well, we're all a family here." Steve said walking up from behind her. 

"*tsk* Well forgive me if I've heard that too many times from too many people for that to mean something." Skye replied bitterly. All the other Avengers stared at her. After a minute of silence she looked up and said "What?"

"What did you just say? Specifically?" Tony asked with wide eyes and looking like he was trying not to laugh. 

"Well forgive me if I've heard that too many times from too many people for that to mean something?" she said, rather quickly and more of a question this time. 

"Does one of your soulmark say something about family?" Steve said solemnly. 

"No," Skye said. She went back to the computer when she realized what the conversation was tending towards. 

"Are-- are you sure?" Steve asked, his expression disappointed. 

"Pretty sure," Skye said, not looking up. 

"Can I see it?" He asked then he cringed when he realized that slipped out. He was from the fourties after all. You didn't just ask a lady to see their mark. 

"No." At both of their glares she sighed,"Look I'm not being a jerk, you literally will not be able to see it." When she looked up and saw Tony's face she turned towards them and lifted her shirt. Jemma could tell they saw the scars by their sharp intakes of breath. "And I only have one mark."

"Are you sure about that?" Clint said, squinting. "Because I'm looking at a second one right now. At least a part of it." 

"What!" Skye said, turning around quickly. "Where?"

He walked up and turned her around. He pulled up the back of her shirt and even from 5 feet away Jemma could see about 6 scars that didn't heal right. 

Right under her left shoulder blades was writing. "Well we're all a family here." Clint took his phone out and took a picture to show her. 

"Well..." Skye said, shocked, "I'll be dammed."

Skye

After her first Soulmark was cut off and she didn't know what it said, she could care less about her Soulmate. No offense to them but everyone else left her, there was no reason not to assume they wouldn't either. 

But when Captain frigging America was revealed to be her soulmate she had a feeling that, that wouldn't be the case. He held out her hand and said, "Will you please come with me? There's someone you need to meet."

She took his hand and he led her to the elevator. After they turned into the elevator Tony was shouting. Captain America (she couldn't come to call him Steve yet) turned back down the hall to see what the ruckus was. 

As soon as he was out of sight the elevator dinged behind her. Out walked Maria Hill and some blonde woman. Both reacted with shock. 

"You don't belong here," the blonde woman said. 

"If I had a dollar for every time I heard that in my childhood..." Skye said trailing off. 

"Aren't you the hacker May picked... up...." Maria said trailing off when she saw the shock on Blondie's face. "Dammit!" was all she said.


	4. Chapter 4

Jemma. 

"Curious." Jemma said after Steve kind of dragged Skye from the room. She had been in a state of shock so when she held out her hand it was for more of a handshake, but Steve took it and walked away. 

"What's that?" Clint asked, just as Tony looked at Skye's computer screen. 

"Oh hell no!" Tony said storming out the room. "Steve!" There was a voice answering and then Tony said, "You tell her tiny ass to get--" 

He was cut off by a loud "Whap!" And then there was a "thunk!". The four of them all looked at the hallway door, then Bruce, Clint and Natasha went up to check on Tony. 

Once they were sure he was alright they walked back to the room and Banner looked at Skye's laptop and whistled. "She actually did it!" Bruce said awestruck. "She hacked in!"

"No surprise there." Jemma said flatly. "She once hacked Ian Quinn's network on a phone."

"What did you mean by curious?" Natasha asked, curious herself. 

"Well Skye is a bit of a chatterbox. Can't get her to shut up, really. Terribly distracting." Jemma began to try to figure out a good way to say this as not to embarrass her friend. 

"The only thing she won't talk about is Soulmates. Even Agent May will talk about them!"

"She told you all about Andrew?" Natasha asked. 

"No. Who's Andrew?" Jemma asked. Then realization hit her. "Agent May has a Soulmate!"

"You did NOT hear that from me!" Natasha said in shock. She did not need May pissed at her. 

Jemma's eyebrows went up before she continued. "Yes, but Skye flat out refuses to talk about it. Then last night when I.... panicked a bit I found out why. She showed me her mark. None of us had any idea she had one. Now I understand why she didn't want any of us to know about it...." She said trailing off shaking her head.

"What? Because it was Captain America?"

"Because a foster family tried carving it out of her skin." Jemma said softly so Bruce couldn't hear. It was one thing to tell her soulmates but to tell random people? She doubts that Skye would appreciate that. Both looked at her in shock.

"Shannon is going to kill them. Hell I want to kill them!"

"You'll never find them. Skye erased her entire history, and from what we just saw she's a better Hacker than Ironman"

"You can call him Tony." Clint said. 

"Like that'll stop her. She's a damn spy."

"Well technically so am I." Jemma said joking. 

"Ok." Bruce said, looking at Skye's laptop. "Well obviously we aren't going to be using these nanites anymore. So if you guys want to..."

Clint started chuckling "What the hell are you laughing at?" Natasha asked annoyed. From what Jemma had seen over the last few hours the tales of their fights weren't exaggerated. 

"Look at this!" He said showing both women his phone. 

CB: Guess what?  
PC: What?  
CB: May's Mini-me just found her soulmate!  
CB: It's Steve and Sharon!  
PC: Skye?  
PC: Wait what!

"I don't get what's so funny?" Jemma said. 

"May tried tells us that Skye isn't her mini me. Now even Coulson backed us up." Clint and Natasha said. At the same time. It was kind of creepy. After some thought she realized that this is what people probably saw when they saw her and Fitz. 

She could also see why they thought it was funny. From what Coulson, Clint, and Tasha told her May was exactly like Skye is now. Despite that neither women would appreciate the comparison despite the accuracy. 

"Ok that is funny." Jemma said, "Maybe you should screenshot it. Send it to Agent May!"

"Oh good idea! She isn't as innocent as she lets on." Clint said. 

"I don't see why people always think that I'm some virginal saint!" Jemma said with a humph. 

"Well, are you a virgin?" Natasha asked, knowing the answer. 

If she thought she went red after Coulson's comment last night she had another thing coming. Unfortunately that's all the two super spies needed to get their answer. 

"Awwww!" Nat cooed. "She waited for us! Isn't that the most adorable thing ever?" She finished looking at Clint. 

He started out the door to the elevator. He turned around and said, "Looks like we're going to have to take the stairs."

"Stairs? Stairs to where?" In response Tasha ran her fingers up Jemma's inner thigh. "Oh. Oh!"

Once they got to the room, Jemma was violently spun around. once she was facing her Tasha did a running jump into her arms, and rapped her legs around Jemma's waist tearing up Jemma's shirt trying to get it off. By some miracle Jemma was able to stay up straight. 

"Hey! Don't break her before I get a chance!" She vaguely heard Clint say.

"Don't worry, крошечные гений. We'll make sure you enjoy this."

 

 

It was about six at night when they finally finished. They were laying in bed -naked-, they same way they were sleeping last night. Again when she tried moving they tightened their grip on her. 

"We just got you." Nat said. "If you think we're going to let you leave so quickly you've got another thing coming."

She felt two pinches on her ass and yelped. Clint then said, "Yeah. Aren't you supposed too be a genius?"

"Oh please. I can't possibly go another round!" Jemma said whining. 

"It doesn't have to be all about sex. We just like your company." Natasha whispered in her ear. "We've been missing out on it for quite a long time."

"I know but what about my team? I don't want them to leave without me-- us." She said, correcting herself. It was taking some getting used to, to have soulmates. 

"I doubt it. Phil and your friend both have Soulmates here. May's mini-me is probably doing the same thing as us two floors up." Clint said, tickling her sides causing Jemma to giggle. 

"Either way, I don't want to take the chance." She said finally getting up. 

After a minute she realized that her clothes were all destroyed in the haste to get them off. Well except her knickers which Clint loved as much as Nat. They both made sure that they remained in tact. "Do you have anything that I can borrow, Natalia?" She said testing the name. Nat was absolutely beaming because of it. 

"Of course, крошечные гений." Nat said, unable to keep the grin off her face. She was about to ask what that meant when Clint just shook his head. 

Jemma got dressed (minus a Bra. All of Tasha's were to big.) along with her mates and they went up four levels to the common area. 

Fitz and Tony were babbling about something. Pepper was in the corner with Dr. Foster and some pale dark headed girl. She looked as though she just finished crying. Ward and Thor were exchanging war stories. May and Dr. Banner were at the bar talking about what seemed to be Tai Chi. That's who they joined. 

"Where is Agent Coulson and Skye?" Jemma asked. 

May smirked. "Hiding from Pepper and the Blonde Brigade."

"Oh Tony told you about that?" 

Jemma tried being subtle. But the fact that May had a soulmate -especially when she was so cold and detached when they first met- was exciting. Apparently she wasn't being subtle. At all. 

"Good God, Mel." Natasha said, fingers gripping the bridge of her nose. "Please tell me this girl doesn't do undercover. She'll get herself killed."

"No..." May sighed. "The closest she's come ended with her shooting Sitwell with an Dendrotoxin round."

Both her mates stared at her. Very slowly Clint raised his hand for a high five. After she smacked his hand she could've swore she heard something along the lines of "pretentious asshole"

"Why are they hiding?" Jemma asked trying to change the subject. 

"You told her about Andrew?"

"Not touching this one with a ten foot pole!" Clint said, raising his hands in surrender. 

"She said your mini-me doesn't like talking about soulmates more than you! I just assumed that you talked about him!" Natasha said, trying to justify herself. 

"First, stop calling her that." May said. 

"Why because it's accurate?" Clint muttered getting himself a glare from May. 

"And second, you now owe me a favor." She finished making Natasha look sheepish. 

"Now that we cleared that up... Why are Coulson and your mini-me hiding?" Clint said grinning. 

May sighed in defeat. "Phil is feeling guilty and I'm guessing Skye's abandonment issues reared their ugly head."

"Agh... Good ol' Foster system." Clint said, voice dripping with sarcasm.


	5. Chapter 5

Skye

Skye took off through the bus. May, Ward, and Fitz were all gathered in the living room of the bus talking about what Skye assumed was the two Avengers they met.

She vaulted up and over the bar to hide behind it. She had done enough times running from different police officers in her life. What she didn't anticipate was her feet getting hooked and flipping over the counter with a huge "thu-thu-thump!"

She heard some one rush in. "What the hell was that?" Coulson shouted. 

"I was never here!" Skye shouted. 

"What does that even mean?" Ward asked. After a minute Skye heard another pair of footsteps. Followed by another. 

"Steve I told you, I can't keep up with you when you go full speed!" Blondie whispered. 

"I know. That's why I slowed down." Captain Freakin' America whispered back. 

"That was your slow?" Blondie's replied, astonished. 

"Captain! Agent 13!"

"Agent Coulson. Nice to see you alive." Steve said, only slightly sarcastic. 

"What can I do for you?"

"Is your hacker---" Agent 13... No Skye was gonna stick with Blondie until she found out her real name, started. 

"Skye." Steve supplied. 

"Yeah, Skye. Where is she?" 

"Not on the bus." Was May's curt reply. 

"But JARVIS..." Steve started. 

"Captain Rogers." Coulson started

"Steve."

"Steve.... I say this without any prejudice, Skye is a better hacker than Stark. If I can hack JARVIS, -and I have- Skye can with ease."

"But..." Blondie started. 

"She. Is. Not. Here." May said, "Let's get off the bus." She said, effectively ending the conversation. 

As all the foot steps filtered out, Skye got a text. 

M-squared: Soulmates?  
Skye:D : Yep.  
M-squared: We're even for me getting you kicked off the Bus.   
Skye:D : yeah yeah  
M-Squared:Yes. 

"You can come out now." Coulson said. 

Skye poked her head out from the bar. "What's Blondie's name."

"Sharon Carter."

"Like the one Jemma won't shut up about Carter? The one that founded SHIELD?"

"No. That's her Aunt."

"Of course it is."

"Wanna tell me why you're hiding?"

"Same reason you are."

"Really?" He said, surprised. He then checked his phone. "Yup. Clint just texted me. Told me what happened."

"You knew the entire time didn't you?" Skye said rolling her eyes. Sometimes he was just as bad at lying as Simmons. 

"Yeah." He said, he at least had the decency to look sheepish. 

"Wanna talk about it?"

"Do you?"

"Touché."

Hours later they were still playing Backgammon. She also deleted herself off Coulson's system. Stark was too good a hacker for her to risk it. 

"So is there a reason that you're avoiding them?"

"I thought we weren't talking about it?"

"Humor me."

"You actually know your soulmate and you aren't up there! Down there? Down there!"

"I actually have to understand what I went through before I bring her in on it."

"Oh"

"Are you going to answer the question?"

After a few minutes of Skye looking pensive, she answered. "Do you really need me to write it down for you? The blonde hair blue eyed couple, the American icon and niece of the founder of big brother with the anti-establishment criminal hacker? Yeah. That'll happen."

After a moment, "And you're sure that's it?"

"What else would it be?" She snapped. Coulson just raised an eyebrow in response. May. Natasha. Now Coulson? What is with senior agents- Although Natasha looked around FitzSimmons' age- and single eyebrow raises. (And no. Skye never practiced it in the mirror unsuccessfully. No, really.)

"You being scared that they'll just take off once they 'get bored'" he said, with finger quotes. 

Skye was sure that she went as red as Jemma did last night. "NO!" she answered a little too quickly and a little too angry.

She rushed out the door intending to sneak through the tower and to the city. Coulson planned to stay here for a few days so that Jemma could.... bond with her soulmates, Skye did't think bitterly.

As soon as she hit the second floor off the top someone grabbed the back of her neck. then everything blacked out. 

The next thing Skye knew she was laying on a bed, underneath the covers. She check the clock on the bedside table and it showed it was two hours later. The room was pretty much bare. Their was a dresser and a closet but nothing else. Scratch that, there was a picture of Peggy Carter on the dresser. Three guesses whose room she was in.

She heard three voices in the other room. "I don't know how they did things in your time but most times wooing your soulmate works better than knocking her out then dragging her back to your room."

"Shut up, Tony." Blondie nearly shouted. "It was an accident!"

"Did you make any progress on the background check?" Steve said

"Nothing. Nada. Zip!"

"Really?" Blondie asked.

"Honestly! It's actually pissing me off! Its insulting my honor!"

"You're plenty honorable to me sir."

"Thank you, JARVIS."

"You're welcome, sir."

Just then the door she had her ear against opened suddenly, causing to spill out. She scrambled up and tried to get out. She was cut off by Blondie. 

"We just want to talk."

"And that is my cue to leave!" Tony shouted over his shoulder as he got on the elevator.

As soon as he was gone Skye started, "Look, no offense but I have no desire to have a relationship with you guys."

"This have anything to do with Sharon's mark?" Steve said, finally letting Skye know the name of her other "Soulmate".

"What? What's wrong with my mark." Sharon asked, insulted, but joking at the same time. After Skye just stared at her she said, "Come on you at least owe me that!"

Skye sighed and pulled up the side of her shirt. Immediately all humor drained from her face. "I want a name." she said, doing a heroic job of holding her temper.

"And you aren't going to get it. It's none of your concern." 

"But..." Steve began, and Skye walked out the door.

"WAIT!" Sharon said trying to catch up. Skye noticed that the shirt she was wearing was probably Steve's and it was unbuttoned. She saw Steve's mark right under her left breast.

"It's nice to meet you, Kate." 

Skye looked up and met her in the eyes. Her eyebrow was raised (damn S.H.I.E.L.D. agents!). "Like the view?"

"Kate?"

Sharon smiled, "I was assigned as Steve's undercover protective detail."

Skye raised her eyebrow (finally). "You know what? It's none of my business." she said, as she walked off. 

They were starting to getting to her. But before she could get to know them she had to figure somethings out. Namely, why Captain America of all people had any security detail. Let alone an undercover one. Fury was the only one that could authorize that.

There was only one reason that Skye could thing of is Fury thought someone close to Steve was going to try to kill him. And she was going to find out who if it killed her.


End file.
